Sleeping bag to UQ conversion

Barefoot Child asked me to try to turn an old synthetic bag of his into an UQ w/o altering it to the point it couldn't still be used as a bag. Having done that with one of my own by simply sewing tabs on it to suspend it from I knew I could do that. However its a little tough to keep the drafts out cuz its tough to get a good seal on the ends, and BC wanted the foot end of the hammock to go through the bag. So I removed the end of the bag and sewed a drawstring channel on with some really wide grosgrain. Then I took the pieces that were the end of the bag and sewed them together to make a little plug for the end when in sleeping bag mode. Then just sewed little tabs again here and there to suspend it from that won't interfere with the zipper, and voila she is done! May still need to do something different at the head end to keep the drafts out but we'll do some testing first, I'm open to ideas on that tho.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...sion1_of_5.jpghttp://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...sion2_of_5.jpghttp://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...sion3_of_5.jpghttp://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...sion5_of_5.jpg

Pretty slick. Is there going to be enough side to side coverage?

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Originally Posted by jred

Pretty slick. Is there going to be enough side to side coverage?

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There seems to be, its quite wide at the head end, mine wraps around my hammock pretty well, but my hammock does not go through the end like this. I think it will work?

So that is what a murdered sleeping bag looks like! :scared:

As soon as I have finished me tea, I'm headed to your tree Red. LOL

Aren't you excited.

Nice, I was thinking in that direction myself for a 3 season bag/uq.

Well, I just got back from RedOleary's tree...and I have to say that he has put a right-proper murdering to this sleeping bag (Hanibal Lechter has nothing on this guy when it comes to slicing and sewing things back together). :sneaky:

I noticed too that this boy must have one serious "Thread Injector" at his disposal (I couldn't see it upclose since it was under it's cover, but since Red is a sailmaker it must be a doosey since that cover was large).

We hung the olde' Traveler hammock and did a fit test of the recently murdered sleeping bag...right nice! I left everything there at his tree, so that he could do some further tweaking.

I believe this will do a great job of keeping a "Hanging Shire Dweller" warm and contented in the shoulder seasons. Since I plan on using it when canoe traveling the weight is of no concern at all.

Good show mate. :)

Thanks BC! Had to use the big girl to sew the end channel on your bag, and the little one for the rest. Just a bit more tweaking and I think we'll have it.

Wait a minute. Is it an underquilt or a peapod-type thing?

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Originally Posted by adkmcmahon

Nice, I was thinking in that direction myself for a 3 season bag/uq.

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The chief concern with this sort of thing is thats it's relatively huge. BC only really plans to use it for shoulder season canoeing where bulk and weight aren't as much of a problem. It would be largely impractical to hike with this IMHO.

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Originally Posted by jred

Wait a minute. Is it an underquilt or a peapod-type thing?

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Its mostly an underquilt with some pea-pod attributes... an Under-Pod if you will. I'm going to try and see if it will zip up at all when I'm in it to make it more Pod-ee :D

Even if it won't zip up, a few adjustable shock cords should help close it up. Or you could complete the murder (Murder One? I heard this on TV), and add a gusset.

Now, Red, about that billboard...;)

A few more pix after getting it rigged and some adjustments etc. Please disregard background clutter..... its a basement :)
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery..._pod3_of_3.jpghttp://www.hammockforums.net/gallery..._pod2_of_3.jpghttp://www.hammockforums.net/gallery..._pod1_of_3.jpg

I have many different bags of the rectangular walmart variety. So I'm looking to do the same thing you did here with one of my sleeping bags. I am wondering what degree sleeping bag I need to use in order to stay warm enough. I use a thermarest prolite sleeping pad in my hammock. I'm guessing that a 30 degree bag will be just fine down to about 10 degrees.

What would you all suggest?

Redoleary, Nice Job! I like the drawstring channel you did in the foot box. I just cut a hole and sewed several circles around to keep it from expanding. I did this also in the head so I could cinch it up around my face. And to keep the gathered end of the hammock from expanding the hole I tied a string just inside the sleeping bag ends on the hammock. But I think your drawstring and grosgrain does the same just at a much nicer look. I'm not one to sew.
And your way allows the sleeping bag to be used normally whereas mine I will have to stuff clothing or stuff bags to block the holes.

There's another cottage industry out there for those who convert sleeping bags.

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Originally Posted by redeye

I have many different bags of the rectangular walmart variety. So I'm looking to do the same thing you did here with one of my sleeping bags. I am wondering what degree sleeping bag I need to use in order to stay warm enough. I use a thermarest prolite sleeping pad in my hammock. I'm guessing that a 30 degree bag will be just fine down to about 10 degrees.

What would you all suggest?

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I don't think a 30 degree bag wrapped around a hammock gets you to 10 degrees, though.

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Originally Posted by redeye

I have many different bags of the rectangular walmart variety. So I'm looking to do the same thing you did here with one of my sleeping bags. I am wondering what degree sleeping bag I need to use in order to stay warm enough. I use a thermarest prolite sleeping pad in my hammock. I'm guessing that a 30 degree bag will be just fine down to about 10 degrees.

What would you all suggest?

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I think that what ever the bag is rated at is prolly as low as you can go and the pad might get you a few more degrees, but there are too many variables to really guesstimate. Testing is really all you can do. You def get a better lay w/o a pad so ideally the uq would replace the pad. But cold camping brings new challenges so a pad may be necessary.

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Originally Posted by Crash

Redoleary, Nice Job! I like the drawstring channel you did in the foot box. I just cut a hole and sewed several circles around to keep it from expanding. I did this also in the head so I could cinch it up around my face. And to keep the gathered end of the hammock from expanding the hole I tied a string just inside the sleeping bag ends on the hammock. But I think your drawstring and grosgrain does the same just at a much nicer look. I'm not one to sew.
And your way allows the sleeping bag to be used normally whereas mine I will have to stuff clothing or stuff bags to block the holes.

There's another cottage industry out there for those who convert sleeping bags.

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Thanks Crash. The drawstring is still a little stiff but in time it may loosen up and make a better seal on the end. I made a plug for the end out of the leftovers from the mod just for that purpose, but useing clothes while on the trail is an even better idea.

Well... Here is what I ended up doing.

I first started off by choosing a standard Coleman sleeping bag that had a 40 degree rating(I'm a very warm bodied person). It measures 66 X 81 when opened up.

I started by first removing the zipper.

Next I cut along the head and foot ends of the sleeping bag. Then, I removed about 10 inches of insulation from each end of the bag. The bag had a sew line I followed on both sides. I did this so I could insert shockcord and draw up each end to keep out drafts.

After I removed the insulation, I resewed along the inner stitch line, the one 10 inches in. I also sewed back over each end of the bag closing it up again.

I then added grosgrain much as you did and added the shockcord for a draw string. I need to figure out some way to keep the quilt up in the middle.


Sorry I don't have a camera to post any pictures. I am testing it out on the 26th to see if it's warm enough.

Just sew on a few small loops/tabs in the middle and put a piece of bungee over the RL, that should hold up the middle.